In a first-time collaborative endeavour, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai, will bring four award-winning plays from the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) Festival, hosting them at its Experimental Theatre in Mumbai, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of META. This 4-day theatre showcase will be held from December 19th to 22nd, 2024. It will be a unique theatrical experience, staging critically acclaimed plays in Hindi, Assamese, and Bundeli, complemented by a gamut of other experiences including engaging workshops and talks that celebrate the spirit of theatre.

The META Festival and the NCPA are both committed to recognising and promoting all aspects of stagecraft in the country by creating national platforms to benchmark excellence, while encouraging emerging talent.

Since its inception, the Mahindra Group has championed the dramatic arts through META and enabled a range of diverse themes and dialects to be showcased on the national stage at its annual weeklong festival in New Delhi, which culminates in Indian theatre’s most prestigious award show. The Mahindra Group has always believed in the power of arts to inspire and transform lives and this festival is also a testament to their commitment.

In addition to the performances, META at NCPA will feature workshops and discussions designed to engage audiences and engender among them a deeper understanding of the theatrical arts.

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, is India’s premier cultural institution, committed to preserving and promoting India’s vibrant artistic heritage in the fields of music, dance, theatre, film, literature and photography, as well as presenting new and innovative work by Indian and international artistes. Inaugurated in 1969, it was the first multi-venue and multi-genre cultural centre in South Asia. Today, the NCPA hosts more than 500 events each year, making it one of India’s largest and most holistic performing arts centres. Facing the Arabian Sea, the sprawling campus houses five theatres, libraries, open spaces, an art gallery and restaurants.

The NCPA was the brainchild of JRD Tata and Dr. Jamshed Bhabha, two visionaries who recognised India’s need for an all-encompassing performing arts centre. Its present Chairman, Khushroo N. Suntook, has taken the NCPA to new heights.

Luminaries from various fields have contributed towards lending the NCPA the iconic status it enjoys, including Satyajit Ray, Yehudi Menuhin as its earliest mentors and Zakir Hussain, who is associated with the NCPA not only as an illustrious performer but also a member of its council.

As India’s role on the international stage expands, the NCPA has been investing in the country’s cultural future. In 2006, it established the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), the country’s first and only professional orchestra. With its great emphasis on education, the NCPA has developed a reputation as a major centre for training and learning, building on an already well-established programme of workshops, seminars and special events.